Rabat — May 26, 2026 — Morocco has announced plans to construct the Falit Dam in Figuig Province, a $46.5 million project designed to strengthen the country’s water security and climate resilience. The initiative forms part of Morocco’s broader strategy to combat worsening water scarcity and ensure sustainable access to drinking water, irrigation, and flood protection.
The new dam, to be built north of Bouarfa on the Mouloudah wadi, will have a storage capacity of 25 million cubic meters and stand 59 meters high. Engineers will use roller‑compacted concrete technology, integrating a flood evacuation system capable of discharging up to 28 cubic meters per second. The infrastructure will help regulate irregular water flows in the arid region, where rainfall is infrequent but often intense.
Authorities expect the project to benefit local communities by improving agricultural productivity and protecting against flash floods. The dam will also support Morocco’s National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program (2020–2027), which includes desalination and wastewater reuse initiatives.
Morocco currently operates more than 150 large dams with a combined storage capacity of 20.8 billion cubic meters. The government plans to commission around 20 additional projects by 2027, reinforcing national water retention and resilience amid growing climate pressures.
According to the World Bank, Morocco’s water availability has declined sharply — from 2,560 cubic meters per capita in 1960 to 620 cubic meters in 2020 — and could fall below 500 cubic meters by 2030, a threshold for absolute water scarcity. The Falit Dam project represents a crucial step toward securing water resources and supporting sustainable development in Morocco’s southeastern regions.
